Wins for New Zealand Schools and Australian U18 sides in Hamilton openers

• By Adam Julian

Tomorrow’s stars today are in action for Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Samoa in a series of international fixtures in Hamilton and Fiji.

The Australia Under-18 team started their tour of New Zealand with an impressive 57-47 win against the New Zealand Barbarians Under-18s while the New Zealand Schools thrashed hapless Samoa 91-5 at St Paul’s Collegiate.

The Australia Secondary Schools were topped twice on tour by Fiji.

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Australia With Bragging Rights Over Barbarians

Australia Under-18: 57 (Kingsley Uys 2, Heamasi Makasini 2, John Grenfell, Jonty Fowler, Thomas Howard, Heinz Lemoto tries; Fowler 7 con, pen) New Zealand Barbarians Under-18: 47 (Frazier Brown, Reimana Saunderson-Rurawhe 2, Rios Tasmania, Rupeni Raviyawa, Pyrenees Boyle-Tiatia, Bronson van de Heyden, tries; Tasmania 3 con, Boyle-Tiatia 3 con) HT: 38-21

An unheard-of 15 tries were scored in a Trans-Tasman schoolboy international where spillages were punished in a flash and ruck defence became increasingly fragile.

Australia led 38-21 at halftime and stretched to 57-33 with a dozen minutes remaining.

The Barbarians started briskly with an expansive attack and a try to lock Frazer Brown out of Gallaher Shield champions Ponsonby.

Australia responded ominously with a length-of-the-field try to winger Heamasi Makasini. From a scrum on their own 22, Australia fired the ball left and Makasini was unstoppable one-on-one. Afterward, a Barbarians player quipped. “When I saw him warming up, I thought he was one of the loose forwards.”

Every time Makasini handled, Australia looked potent. Makasini is a tank and scored Australia’s third try with a shorter, terrifying burst.

Initially, at least, the Barbarians matched Australia. Northcote centre Reimana Saunderson-Rurawhe and towering fullback Rios Tasmania scored tries that came from clinical construction and spontaneous offloading.

But when Australia attacked around the fringes of the ruck their heaver and dynamic forwards were able to breach the gain line all too often. Loosehead prop Kingsley Uys, No.8 Heinz Lemoto, and blindside flanker Eli Langi were damaging. First five-eighth Jonty Fowler kicked superlatively and snatched a try from a Barbarians scrum fumble.

After halftime, the Barbarians hit back with tries two quick tries for Saunderson-Rurawhe and Feilding High School No.8 Rupeni Raviyawa.

But Australia wrestled back the initiative when centre Frankie Goldsborough put Tom Howard into space with a flick offload. The combative, close-quarter approach that blunted the Barbarians resurfaced with props Nicholas Hill and Jonah Rangwai and loose forward Luca Cleverly carrying on the imputes from the bench

The Barbarians scored two late consolation tries, a 75-metre interception by centre Pyrenees Boyle-Tiatia and a barge over after a maul by Rotorua Boys’ prop Bronson van de Heyden.

The Barbarians’ first official match was against Australia on September 29, 2012, at Sacred Heart College, Auckland. The Barbarians jerseys were presented by 1987 Rugby World Cup winner Alan Whetton. Boasting a powerful line-up with future senior internationals Tau Koloamatangi, Mitchell Drummond, Damian McKenzie and rugby league superstar Nelson Asofa-Solomona, the Barbarians overpowered the Aussies 24-5.

The Barbarians won matches in 2014 and 2016 with Australia winning in 2019 and 2023.

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New Zealand Schools Smash Samoa

New Zealand Schools: 91 (Nico Stanley 3, Aio Keith, Cohen Norrie, Bradley Tocker, Siale Pahulu 2, Saumaki Saumaki 3, Charlie Wallis, Ollie Guerin, Finn McLeod, Tyi Sinkinson tries; Harry Inch 4 con, Mason Verster 4 con) Samoa: 5 (Mavaega Siole try) HT: 46-5

It’s hard to know what was gained by the New Zealand Schools in their 15-try demolition of Samoa.

Though New Zealand scored 46 points in the second half, their first-half display was more impressive maintaining their shape and punishing Samoa who struggled to compete at the breakdown and clear their territory from the boot.

Samoa did start with a spark, lively winger Mavaega Siole snatching an intercept and dashing 60 metres only to be caught by Harry Inch. Siole would make the line from the same source in the second half.

The Nelson College axis of halfback Ollie Gibbons, first five-eighth Harry Inch, and blockbusting No.8 Saumaki Saumaki shape as integral figures for the Australian test on Sunday as does captain and fullback Cohen Norrie and openside flanker Aio Keith.

Year 11 centre Benson Stanley, from the famous Stanley rugby family, had a startling debut with three tries. None were particularly spectacular, but he looked assured and powerful.

A feature of the New Zealand team was the number of players in different positions from their First XV. These include Norrie (10 to 15), Jarrel Tuaimalo Vaega (10 to 12) and Palmerston North lock Bradley Tocker who played blindside.

New Zealand Schools have won 140 out of 159 games and beaten Samoa in all eight meetings.